McLaren F1 #007

The McLaren F1 was designed as the no-compromise sportscar. Every component in the car was optimised for the F1 with the intent to deliver driving enjoyment and speed at unmatched levels. When it debuted in 1992 it was a knockout punch to the supercar world. Sporting a BMW-designed and built V12 and very light and strong chassis the F1 quickly eclipsed all supercar standards of the day. Tailored around Gordon Murray's belief in the purest method of going fast and flying in the face of contemporary rivals and Formula One racecars, the F1 went without power steering, ABS-traction control, or even wings and spoilers. But since this was a streetcar, normal niceties like air conditioning, a 10-disc CD changer, and even fitted luggage came standard. Regular roadcars were priced at $1,000,000 apiece when new and McLaren outfitted each car to the owner's specific requests.

The F1 was raced at Le Mans and in the gentlemans BPR endurance series in Europe and the FIA GT series throughout the 1990s. Some cars were still raced in the Japanese GT series as late as 2004. An F1 GTR won the 1995 24h of Le Mans as well as several sportscar championships during its career.

The last F1s were produced in 1997 and production fell short of the numbers McLaren had originally planned on. Over 70 roadcars were built over 3 model ranges: standard, LM, and GT. Poor timing was probably the root cause of the F1's demise: the poor economy in the early-1990s made a $1 million car hard to justify and Mercedes' involvement with McLaren in the later part of the decade created a conflict with the BMW-powered F1.

This car is number 007, produced in 1994. It is one of only three F1s finished in metallic black. It spent half of its life with UK owners before coming to the US where it now resides with its new owner and under the care of Turner Motorsport. It can be seen in regular use on the roadways around Boston.